The II meeting of the Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN), 28 - 30 November 2018, FAO HQ, Rome, Italy Lucrezia Caon, GSP, FAO

1. Item 11: Plenary Discussion on SOPs

2. Objective of the SOPs
• Need to provide a definition – link to GLOSOLAN
Terminology

3. - How many SOPs are we going to develop under GLOSOLAN?
- Who to develop them?
- How to manage SOPs developed at the regional level in GLOSOLAN?
- How to work on harmonization?
- How to work with new technologies like spectroscopy?
- Role of ISO
- Work plan development
Core questions to be answered:

4. Are we going to develop our own SOPs?
Potential role of ISO?
• We use the approach by SEALNET and LATSOLAN: review
SOPs in use in the countries and harmonize them at the
global level
• We ensure that GLOSOLAN SOPs consistent with those that
are already published by ISO. How? By asking laboratories
using ISO methods or contributing to the development of
ISO methods to review GLOSOLAN SOPs.
• Validate GLOSOLAN SOPs through the ring test.
• Establishment of a Technical Working Group for SOPs
development/review/validation (link to ring test results
analysis).
• We will identify a pool of experts in each region to
supervise the implementation of GLP and give trainings.

5. What SOPs are we going to develop?
Including soil parameters prioritization!
Need to identify the soil parameters to develop SOPs on. Options
for selection:
1. Global priorities, e.g. mapping and international reporting
The GSP Secretariat is planning to develop three global maps
in 2019:
- Global Map on Soil Erosion (link the Global Symposium on
Soil Erosion)
- Global Map on Soil Salinity
- Global Map on the Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration
Potential

6. What SOPs are we going to develop?
Including soil parameters prioritization!
Need to identify the soil parameters to develop SOPs on. Options
for selection:
1. Global priorities, e.g. mapping and international reporting
2. Global Soil Information System (GLOSIS) and SoilSTAT (link
to the work of other GSP Pillars – especially Pillar 4)
Top parameters GLOSIS would work on:
Physical parameters:
- Available water capacity
- Bulk density
- Clay, sand, silt (texture)
- Coarse fragments
Chemical parameters:
- Electrical Conductivity (EC)
- Nitrogen
- pH
- Potassium (K)
- Organic carbon

7. What SOPs are we going to develop?
Including soil parameters prioritization!
Need to identify the soil parameters to develop SOPs on. Options
for selection:
1. Global priorities, e.g. mapping and international reporting
2. GLOSIS and SoilSTAT (link to the work of other GSP Pillars)
3. Results of the 1st GLOSOLAN Survey

8. What SOPs are we going to develop?
Including soil parameters prioritization!
Proposal to find a compromise to contribute to global initiatives
including GLOSIS and SoilSTAT, and use data obtained through the
online survey.

9. What SOPs are we going to develop?
Including soil parameters prioritization!
Decision: work on directly measured soil parameters. Priority ones:
1. Sample pre-treatment
2. Moisture content
3. Organic and inorganic carbon
4. Bulk density
5. Texture and coarse fraction
6. pH in water, CaCl2 and KCl
7. Electrical Conductivity (EC)
8. Total Nitrogen
9. Available Phosphorous
10. CEC and exchangeable cations
11. Total trace and major elements
12. Extractable micro-nutrients (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, B)
13. Chlorine and Sulphur

10. How many SOPs per each parameter to
develop?
Parameter #SOP Note
Sample preparation 1
Moisture content 1
Organic C 2 Walkly Black (no in USA)
Dry-combustion
In USA: Measure total C and then subtract
inorganic C to get organic C
Inorganic C 1 CaCO3 equivalent
Bulk density 1
Texture and coarse fraction 2 Pipet method
Hydrometer
pH in water, CaCl2 and KCl 1 SEALNET and LATSOLAN approach
(countries’ survey on the methods)

11. How many SOPs per each parameter to
develop?
Parameter #SOP Note
Electrical Conductivity (EC) 2 1. Saturated paste
2. SEALNET and LATSOLAN approach
(countries’ survey on the methods)
Total Nitrogen 2 Kjeldahl
Combustion
Available Phosphorus 3 Olsen
Bray I/II
Mehlich III
Ammonium lactate
CEC and exchangeable
cations
2
plus
Ammonium acetate/chloride (2)
Cobalt Hexamine and BaCl2 to agree on
following a survey among countries

12. How many SOPs per each parameter to
develop?
Parameter #SOP Note
Total trace and major
elements
1 Total digestion method (acqua regia + HF)
Quasi-total trace and major
elements
1 Partial digestion method (acqua regia)
Extractable micro-nutrients
(Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, B)
3 DTPA
EDTA
Mehlich III
Extractable micro-nutrients
(B)
1 Hot water/CaCl2
Chlorine 1 Mohr
Sulphur 1 Barium Chloride

13. Who to develop SOPs and manage SOPs
developed at the regional level in GLOSOLAN?
Harmonization of SOPs developed by the regions is an issue only
in 2018.
• RESOLAN to collect inputs on methods and SOPs used by each
country
• GLOSOLAN to process the collected information – role of the
Technical Working Group in GLOSOLAN.

14. Role of the Technical Working Group
• Analyse the information collected by
the region,
• Formulate the SOPs and modify them
according to ring test results when
necessary
• Regional groups of experts supervising
the implementation of GLP and giving
trainings, will also support in
implementing the SOPs

15. SOP Template
• Our SOPs will be freely available
• Copyright with FAO-GLOSOLAN
• Authors to be acknowledged? YES in the internal
document to track this down and at official
GLOSOLAN reports.
In the public facing doc:
• Prepared by GLOSOLAN Technical Working Group
XXXX
• Reviewed on XX/XX/XXXX
• Approved on XX/XX/XXXX at GLOSOLAN X
meeting

16. Harmonization
Need to provide a definition of it
To be done when agreeing on the GLOSOLAN’s terminology
In standards, harmonization is the process of minimizing
redundant or conflicting standards which may have evolved
independently. The goal is to find commonalities, identify critical
requirements that need to be retained, and provide a common
standard.
Harmonization of what?
- Data produced using different methods
- When GLOSOLAN SOPs cannot be applied
Potential:
- Harmonize historical databases

17. Harmonization
How?
- Development of conversion factors. By who? And How?
1. Review the databases of WEPAL and ASPAC (contracting of a
student?)
2. National institutes to provide conversion factor (comparison
of data obtained using GLOSOLAN SOPs with their national
ones) when databases are not available.

18. How to work with new technologies like
spectroscopy (MIR, NIR)?
Proposal:
• Launch of regional surveys to identify those laboratories
working on spectroscopy
• Establishment of a dedicated working group
• Spectroscopy to become a SOP for the different soil
parameters. 2 SOPs to be developed: MIR and NIR

19. Five years work plan development
Year SOPs to be developed Notes
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
After
2022

20. Thanks for your inputs